MonsterNews

3Headed Monster Wins Ad Age's Small Agency of the Year

3Headed Monster was honored to attend Ad Age's Small Agency Awards in Nashville, TN and recieve the silver for Small Agency of The Year SW Region.

Here's what Ad Age had to say about why 3Headed Monster won:

3Headed Monster caters to companies looking to combine story, design and technology -- hence, the name. Working on behalf of what it calls the "companies of tomorrow," 3Headed Monster, via its relationships with Dallas-based venture capitalists, works on a variety of specialized startup projects, as well as with blue-chip brands like BMW and Nike.

The Work: The agency's startup mentality helped Rascal, a men's grooming brand, launch a company within 100 days via packaging, copy and a digital strategy. Rascal products included phrases like "Antidote for your self-destructive behavior" and "Gentlemen leave no evidence." For fro-yo client Orange Leaf, 3Headed Monster branded frozen yogurt as an individual act of creation with an orange unicorn acting as its "chief spokes-thingie." Participating in-store sales, the shop said, rose as much as 40%.

FROM DARK DUNGEON TO THE BRIGHT LIGHTS OF THE DALLAS ADDY’S.

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The ADDY’s was a good night for 3Headed Monster. Our little agency took the stage under the bright lights alongside a bunch of global giants. We scored 3 Golds, 4 Silver, and one Bronze for our work on Orange Leaf. Very cool.

And while the ADDY’s organizers are too wise to let ad people gab on with Oscar-like Thank You speeches, our blog seems like a safe platform for a few well deserved thank you’s. Our clients, for starters. They trusted us and believed in us when we were just a handful of people in a dark basement. No small thing.

We also have tremendous relationships in the production community, with groups like Brazen, Breed, Charlie Uniform Tango, Groove Jones, and Motion Butter. Their talents and expertise allowed us to execute far above our small clients’ budgets. And, of course, the monsters themselves. The Team.

We are monsters. Just like the monsters you know from your bedtime stories, we’re misfits. We do things differently, play by our own rules, and this past year our love of all things weird has taken us out of the dungeon and into the light.

What started as a rag-tag trio of agency veterans in a basement in the West End has become a 12-monster team of eagle-eyed strategists, social media nerds, rowdy designers and Jedi writers. This year we’re proud to leave the darkness behind us and join you all in the light. We may not be the prettiest, fanciest agency you’ve seen, but we’ve got heart and we’re not afraid to use it. So to all of you who cared enough to read this post, thank you and welcome to 2017. Year of the Monster.

ADWEEK GIVES US SOME LOVE

Most gritty sportswear ads celebrate working hard and being your best. Not this one. This spot reminds you that you've made some enemies, and they're coming for you.

Starting today, protective gear brand Unequal and Dallas agency 3Headed Monster are rolling out a campaign called "Coming for You," featuring the intense workout regimens of athletes waiting for their opportunity to break you in half. The spots will air on ESPN and online.

In the campaign's football-themed ad, we see a player who's taken on the ominous nickname The Butcher since you, the viewer, tweeted to him: "You're so soft, you smell like dryer sheets. #weaksauce #scoreboard."

Maybe next time keep those observations to yourself, because now he's made revenge his motivation on a scale that would make the Count of Monte Cristo jealous.

In another, somewhat less vengeance-driven spot, we see a soccer player—Jessica "Gets Even" Stevens—who's been working overtime to be the best, and her path seems aligned to run right through your concussed skull. (Which is why you might want to pick up Unequal's Halo1 soccer headgear.)

In addition to flipping the script on the usual athletic ad that tries to empower the viewer by celebrating your own work ethic, this campaign is also true to brand. Unequal creates protective wear designed from military-grade technology.

For the athletes who enjoy the occasional trash talk (or for their parents), this ad might be a good motivator to pick up some revenge-resistant ballistic gear.

Media Post Features Our Very Own Crystal Anderson

3Headed Monster (3HM) was launched by industry veterans Shon Rathbone and Mark Ford last June to integrate brand storytelling, design and technology. Now, the agency has named Crystal Anderson to the newly created position of partner/strategy director to help connect these services for clients. She will head all strategic efforts for the agency and clients, ranging from brand positioning and consumer research to digital strategy.

“Crystal is a new breed of strategist who combines a brand outlook with digital fluency,” says Shon Rathbone, founder and creative chairman. “She’s the perfect person to fill the role of strategy director here at 3Headed Monster.”

Anderson joins 3HM from SapientNitro in Atlanta, where she was director of marketing strategy and analysis, leading the digital experience strategy for MD Anderson Cancer Center and Coca-Cola Enterprises, among others.

Previously, Anderson worked at agencies such as DDB New York, BBDO Chicago, Uproar! (in both Dallas and New York) and Publicis Dallas.

"Crystal and I worked together many years ago at Publicis," says Rathbone. "When the time came to add strategic muscle to the shop, she was my first call because her hybrid skill set is the perfect fit for our agency vision."

With experience at both independent and larger agencies, Anderson was attracted to 3HM's start-up culture.

“While there was smart thinking on both sides, neither had figured out the formula for creating impactful storytelling for a fast-moving, Uber-connected world," says Anderson. "There was clearly an opportunity to take what was working well in our industry and create an agency that redefined advertising. To me, that’s what 3Headed Monster represents. Our combination of story, technology and design — powered by smart strategies — will propel our client’s businesses and create brands that are shaping and influencing tomorrow’s culture.”

She has relocated from Atlanta and is now based in Dallas. As the agency continues to grow, Anderson will build a "robust strategic group under her," says Rathbone.

3Headed Monster Wins National Sports Brand Unequal Technologies

3Headed Monster, a fast-growing Dallas-based agency founded in 2014, has been named agency of record for revolutionary sports brand Unequal Technologies. The partnership creates a unique new engagement model that brings together the agency, pioneering venture capital firm OE Capital Partners and a game-changing athletic brand.

Unequal Technologies has modified battlefield protection technology to provide maximum injury prevention for athletes in a variety of sports, with lightweight body armor that displaces impact, helping to reduce the risk of concussion and commotio cordis. Unequal gear is already used by many pro and college teams. Summer Games players will wear Unequal gear in Rio this month.

"3Headed Monster has the creative and strategic firepower Unequal needs to shake up the sports world," said Unequal CEO Rob Vito. "They offer big-agency talent in a scrappy startup form, and we love that combination."

3Headed Monster focuses on what it calls Tomorrow Brands™ – brands that are innovative, are committed to their customer and society at large, and demonstrate their values with action. 3Headed Monster Creative Chairman Shon Rathbone says Unequal is the latest example of the agency's unique focus.

"We're all about Tomorrow Brands, and Unequal is going to make tomorrow better and safer for athletes around the world," said Rathbone. "We look forward to creatively sharing their story."

Venture capital firm OE Partners brokered the agency relationship, is funding the campaign launch and will remain engaged as part of the marketing team. "Our model is different," said OE Capital Partners CEO Patrick Howard. "We bring more than money to the table, and 3Headed Monster is a critical strategic ally that will help create tremendous value for the brand."

About 3Headed Monster
Dallas-based creative agency 3Headed Monster was founded in 2014 by Creative Chairman Shon Rathbone, Strategy Director Crystal Anderson and Creative Director Mark Ford. The team joined forces and its combined 60 years of blue-chip brand experience to form a new kind of agency that serves what it calls Tomorrow Brands™ – brands that work to make tomorrow better for the people they serve. The team fuses the modern essentials – story, design and technology – to help clients solve tough strategic problems and accelerate growth.

Dallas Business Journal Features 3HM

Dallas advertising startup 3Headed Monster LLC is using the combination of story, technology and design to attract customers that include startups, large restaurant chains and forward-thinking brands.

But co-founders Shon Rathbone and Mark Ford, who already have landed clients including the Twin Peaks restaurant chain, are only expecting their momentum to grow after hiring Crystal Anderson, a digital strategist who most recently worked for global digital agency Sapient,

where she led the digital experience strategy for MD Anderson Cancer Center, Coca-Cola Enterprise from its Atlanta office. Sapient was recently acquired by Publicis for $3.7 billion. Anderson's first day at 3Headed Monster was Monday.

With the addition of Anderson, the team comprises about 60 years of experience in the industry.

"She combines both brand planning and strategy with tremendous experience with digital strategy," said Rathbone, who formerly worked with Anderson at Publicis. "It's an increasingly important discipline."

3Headed Monster, headquartered at the Dallas Entrepreneur Center, has been bootstrapped by its founders and has been profitable since it's launch in May of last year.

Here's a look at the company and what Rathbone, creative chairman, sees in its future.

Why was 3Headed Monster founded?
We're in a business that's changing. So you begin to ask the question, "if you could start from scratch, how would you build a better mousetrap?" If you can find the right people, you can then try to launch a better agency. That's what we're doing. Big agencies have scale but they're trying to solve problems through mergers and acquisitions. I'd much rather build an agency from scratch – one that's built for 2015. The gaming industry has done amazing things with storytelling. Similarly, there's a tremendous opportunity for agencies to embrace technology and tell stories.

What's the overall goal of 3Headed Monster?
We want to change the definition of advertising and make it a truly interactive form of storytelling.

How did you fund the company?
It's completely bootstrapped. We just immediately picked up projects when we started in May. We had our first project before we formed the company, so money was coming in before we launched. It was one of the advantages of having been doing things for a while. We didn't have to put in an initial investment.

Who are your current clients?
We picked up Twin Peaks in August. For them, we do radio, digital and some art. [Dallas tech startup] Oyokey was one of our first clients. We helped them with website and strategy. We also have Chef-N. They make designer kitchen utensils in Seattle. And Dallas-based Rascal, which will launch its men's grooming line in the next couple of weeks.

What can people expect from 3Headed Monster?
You can expect us to experiment and work with clients who have something about them that are poised to shape tomorrow. Our focus is on tomorrow brands.